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Will the iPhone 5 come bundled with earphones?

Those redesigned Apple earphones could be a premium after-market accessory

06 September 2012/12:07BST

The headphones that come bundled with Apple's iPhones and iPods have, traditionally, not been up to snuff.

Now, what appears to be a redesigned pair of the signature white Apple earphones has leaked online – but are they going to be bundled with the iPhone 5 or an after-market accessory?

There seems little reason for Apple to upgrade its bundled buds. After all, HTC tried packaging its phones with Beats headphones – but soon discovered that people weren't prepared to pay over the odds for premium bundled headphones, and stopped shipping its handsets with Beats cans.

So: why is Apple redesigning its bundled earphones? After all, Apple could quite happily save a few dollars by simply continuing to package its existing headphones with the iPhone 5 – or ditch bundled headphones altogether.

It's not as if the iPad comes packaged with a set of headphones, after all. And most iPhone 5 purchasers are likely to have a pair of Apple headphones knocking around already – or will upgrade as soon as they buy the phone. That suggests these headphones – assuming they're the real deal – could simply be a replacement for the after-market Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic.

Do you tend to stick with Apple's bundled headphones, or rush out and buy a new pair? And should Apple abandon bundled headphones altogether? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter.